Forest Retreat

A lone plot of woodland remained in a land groomed for wine production and consumption, selected to become a small bed & breakfast for a retiring owner. The project needed to extend a protective embrace around this woodland treat. Despite the many permutations in the design process, the prominence of the walled courtyard remained central. It became a house for the forest first, then a guesthouse for its human guests. One might characterize the parti as a courtyard with a house attached. A particular patch of towering douglas firs along with a rocky moss cover landscape becomes the centerpiece of a protective enclosure. 

The bed & breakfast features a series of rooms and courtyards organized between support bars (kitchen, bath, storage). The rooms are spatially and visually connected with an oblique corridor, allowing continuity along the home. Each room has a distinct view either toward the northern courtyard or the southern vineyards beyond.




Location: Dayton, Oregon
Client: Undisclosed
Year: 2019–2020
Type: Residential
Size: 6,500 SF
Status: Concept Design

Team: Figure (Architect), Studio STRAF (Architect and Interiors Architect), and Kevin Lee (Consultant)